Suit And Tie - Book One in the Original Love series
by Arabian3332
Summary: Elijah has loved the Petrova doppelgangers for centuries. It has been a vicious cycle of heartbreak for him, one time after the next. But then he meets Iris, who makes him feel like he might be able to resist the pull the doppelgangers have always had on him. She is still grieving her father when her mother dies. She then tries to shut everyone out. Will Elijah be able to help her?
1. Chapter 1

**Suit And Tie – Book One in the Original Love series**

**[A/N]: This story has been in the back of my mind for quite a while. I finally organized and wrote it. Enjoy! Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THE ORIGINALS. They belong to L. J. Smith and Julie Plec.**

**Iris's P.O.V.**

I get into the car, hauling the last of my heavy boxes with me. I'm not loving the idea of moving from Trenton to Mystic Falls, but my mother insists on it. And since my mother doesn't have that much time left, we're moving on short notice. At least I got to tell my friends goodbye. I sigh a little as I buckle up and put my headphones on. This is going to be a long drive.

At nightfall, we spot a hand-painted wooden sign that proclaims, 'Welcome to Mystic Falls!'. My father grins and glances at me in the mirror. "Welcome to your new home, Iris!" Suddenly, there's a person in the middle of the road. My dad slams on the brakes, and we spin out of control. I hit my head on the car's metal frame and feel consciousness leave me.

**Elijah's P.O.V.**

I'm standing on the spacious porch of our home when I hear an accident occurring. I speed off, hoping to help whoever needs it.

When I arrive, I find the car in the ditch, its front left corner crumpled around a tree. Being a vampire, I notice the marks where a supernatural being's hands dug in as they pushed the car into the tree. I feel anger rise within me. I shall find who did this. I notice that there are three people in the car. The man, presumably the father, has perished. The mother looks to be in critical condition. I call 911. There is no need for another to perish tonight. Lastly, I notice a girl slumped in the backseat, unconsciousness. I quickly check for a pulse, and breathe a sigh of relief when I find it. I hear sirens in the distance. After gently brushing a strand of hair out of her face, I race off into the night, leaving the girl and her mother to the emergency personnel.

**Iris's P.O.V.**

I wake to a pounding head and a sore right side. I open my eyes slowly and take in my surroundings. Well, I'm obviously in a hospital. Then I remember the car accident. I panic and call for a nurse. One hurries in. "Hello sweetie." She smiles at me. "Where are my parents?" I demand. Her smile slips a little. "Your mother is in Ward 3." I breathe a sigh of relief. "And my dad?" She looks at me pityingly. "I'm so sorry, honey. He's gone." I go rigid. No. This town was supposed to be our new start. Dad and I were going to spend as much time as we could with mom, then we were going to help each other heal. I can't go through this alone.

At my insistence, the nurse took me to see my mother. "Hi, mom," I say. She gives me a watery smile. "Iris...your father..." I tear up a little. "I know, mom. I know." She's hooked up to so many machines that the only place I can touch is her hand. Mom wipes her eyes. "Do you know what day it is?" she asks me. I shake my head. "Maybe it's...Wednesday?" I guess. Mom shook her head."Iris, it's Saturday." My eyes go wide. I've been out for three days. 'What?!" I exclaim. She gives me a small smile. "Yep. Yesterday was your birthday. Happy late birthday, sweetheart." I just stand there for a moment, comprehending it. I was now eighteen years old. "Oh, and sweetie? Can you do something for me?" Mom asked. "Of course! What is it?" "Can you start moving in when you get released? I think we should get moved in as soon as we can." "Sure. I'm feeling fine; I'll go sign out. When are you getting gout?" She gave me a weak smile. "I don't know, sweetie. The car accident didn't help my condition." I nod. "Well, come get settled as soon as you can." I squeeze her hand and stand up. "I'm going to go get moved in. I'll come see you tonight." I head to the hospital lobby.

Twenty minutes later, I'm standing on the porch of our new house. I glance at all the boxes stacked in the garage. I pull out the key mom gave me and unlock the door. I push it open and step inside with a smile. The house is a sprawling one-story. Pocketing the keys, I wander to my new bedroom. I stand in the doorway for a moment, just taking it in. The walls are painted a lovely shade of mint, and there are two enormous windows. I love it already. I turn and head for the garage to haul the boxes inside. I work for hours, then I glance at the clock. Wow. Time flies. I hurry to the hospital to see my mother that evening.

Mom's looking a lot better. She talks animatedly, using her hands like she always does. After twenty minutes, she hands me a paper flier advertising a 'Mystic Falls Summer Barbecue'. "It's tomorrow," mom explains. "I think you should go. You should go out and meet people, and get used to the town. It'll be fun." I smile at her enthusiasm. "Sure, mom. I'll go. You need to get your rest; maybe tomorrow you'll feel good enough to go with me." We say goodbye, and I leave for the night. Back at the house, I curl up on the couch with my blankets and fall asleep instantly.

The next morning, I go to the grocery store and buy the essentials. When I get back home, I make breakfast and finish unpacking. By that time, I have to get ready for the barbecue. I look through my closet and eventually settle on my favorite neon-yellow 'dance your heart out' tank top and black and red leggings. I pull my white-blonde hair into a ponytail and slip on a pair of blue flats as I walk out the door, nervous to meet the residents of my new hometown.

**[A/N]: This story has been so fun to write so far. I really hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I hope to post the next one within a few days. I love it if you'd review; reviews really motivate me to get writing. 'Til next time! ~A3332**


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N]: Hi! I'd like to thank everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed. Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it. Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THE ORIGINALS. They belong to L. J. Smith and Julie Plec.**

**Iris's P.O.V.**

As I walk inside the Lockwood estate, my hands nervously clench and unclench. It's not long before a woman approaches me. "Hi!" she held out her hand and smiled at me. "I'm Carol Lockwood. Are you new in town?" I return her smile and shake her hand. "Yes, I'm new. Me and my...mother have just moved here. We bought the old Harrington estate. By the way, I'm Iris Reming." Carol looked at me pityingly. "I'm so sorry to hear of the unfortunate car accident and your father's passing. My condolences to you and your mother." I nod a thanks and we lapse into an awkward silence. "Anyways, let me show you to the food." Carol's hostess-smile comes back and she leads me out the patio door onto the lawn. A huge buffet table holds countless bowls of food. Just then, a dark-haired man comes up to Carol and speaks in a British accent. "Mayor Lockwood, Harold Fell asked me to tell you about some sort of a meeting starting soon?" He sounded like he had no clue what was meeting was about or why it was being held. Carol replied, "Thank you for passing on the message. Oh, Iris, this is Elijah Mikaelson. Elijah, this is Iris Reming. She and her mother are new to town. Would you mind showing her around?" Elijah's brown eyes landed on me for a moment before returning to Carol. "No problem." Carol hurried off, leaving me standing with my most recent acquaintance. "So..." I started awkwardly. "Why did you move to Mystic Falls?" Elijah looked me, slightly surprised. "Who said that I moved here?" I shrug. "Well, you _do_ have a British accent. Not so common for someone born in small-town Virginia." He smiled at my comment. "You are correct. My siblings and I grew up in England, then moved to New Orleans for a while. We settled here not too long ago." "How many siblings do you have?" I ask, curious. I'm an only child, so the idea of having siblings intrigues me. He laughs. "Four, actually. They can be quite stubborn, always fighting amongst themselves." I chuckle a little. "You sound like you've been keeping the peace for a long time." He looked at me curiously. "Indeed I have. You are very perceptive." Just then, a blonde walks over to us. "Lijah, I am going to _kill_ Nik. He thinks that it's funny to hide every single pair of my summer shoes!" Elijah chuckles. "Iris, meet my sister Rebekah. Rebekah, this is Iris Reming. She and her mother have recently moved to town." Rebekah gave me a quick glance. "Pleasure. Now, go talk to Nik. Tell him it's not funny," she demanded, turning back to her brother. "I will. Please introduce Iris to some of the other residents of the town while I'm gone. Iris, I will try to return soon." With that, he turned and walked away.

**Elijah's P.O.V.**

I walk around the party, in search of Niklaus. Will he ever stop tormenting Rebekah? I let out a slight sigh. I think not. At last I find him, talking to the sheriff. I tap him on the shoulder. He turns, and when he registers that it's me he smirks. "Did Rebekah send you about the shoe thing?" he asks, voice full of humor. "Yes, she did. Now Niklaus, I would like you to come apologize to our sister." He sighs in mock defeat, holding up his hands. "Fine. I'll even tell her where to find them." As we head over to Rebekah, who is now introducing Iris to Matt and Tyler, I speak up. "Niklaus, there is someone new in town." "Oh, you don't say?" he says, smiling deviously when he spots Iris. "Her name is Iris Reming. She and her mother have recently moved here. Please don't scare her off." He stops and smirks at me. "Why? Do you fancy her?" I don't answer his question, I merely continue what I was going to say. "She and here mother were in the car accident I was at Tuesday night. Her father perished in the accident, and as far as I can tell, her mother is not in good health. Please be kind." He nods. "Fine. But only because you asked." We then reach the group. Klaus introduces himself to Iris, then pulls Rebekah aside to apologize. In the meantime, Elijah gave Iris a smile. "I trust you have been introduced to Matt and Tyler?" She nodded. "Yup. And Rebekah was going to introduce me to some people before you and your brother came back. She said that she would introduce me to the Gilberts and...Salvatores, I believe it was?" Her brow wrinkled as she tried to remember the names. "I saw them over by the buffet. I can introduce you, if you'd like."

**Iris's P.O.V.**

"Okay," I respond. He nods and starts towards the buffet table. I follow him as he approaches a small group of people. He gestures to me. "Everyone, this is Iris Reming. She is new in town. I trust you shall help her settle in?" Most of them nod. "Okay. Iris, this is Elena and Jeremy Gilbert, Caroline Forbes, Bonnie Bennett, and Damon and Stefan Salvatore." I smile at all of them. The brunette girl, Elena, immediately starts me talking about sports. "Are you a cheerleader? You look like you'd be good at it." I shake my head. "Nope. But I do dance." Elena turns to Caroline. "Doesn't the high school have a dance team?" Caroline smiles excitedly. "Yeah, they do. You'll have to join, Iris!" After a couple of hours of enjoying myself, my cell phone starts to play the start of Brooks & Dunns' "Cowgirls Don't Cry". I immediately excuse myself and answer. "Hello?"

**Elijah's P.O.V.**

Iris is deep in conversation with the girls when her phone rings. She must recognize the tune, because she immediately excuses herself and answers it. I hate to eavesdrop, but I can't help myself. "Hello?" Her voice, carefree seconds before, is now anxious. "Mom, are you okay?". The reply must have not been pleasant, because Iris starts to look extremely worried. "I'll be there as soon as I can." She goes to leave, and I notice that she rode a bicycle here; not an efficient mode of transportation. I walk up next to her. "I can give you a ride, if you'd like." She sighs in relief. "Thank you so much. Can you take me to the hospital? I need to visit my mother." "Sure thing. Oh, and bring your bicycle. It should fit."

A couple minutes later, I pull up to the hospital and help her lift her bicycle out of the back of my SUV. For the first time ever, I am thankful that Niklaus teasingly got me this 'soccer mom' vehicle. She thanks me and rushes inside, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

**[A/N]: Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I had to end it somewhere. Next chapter will be up within a few days. I'm loving writing this story! ;) Please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**[A/N]: Hi! I'd like to thank everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed. Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it. Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THE ORIGINALS. They belong to L. J. Smith and Julie Plec.**

**Iris's P.O.V.**

I half-run to the main desk. I clear my throat to get the secretary's attention. "I'd like to visit Ward 3." She gave me a bored look. "Sign here," she said, pointing to the guest sign-in. I do so, then hurry to go see my mother.  
>When I reach her bedside, she looks exhausted. "Honey, I'm about to go into surgery." I panic slightly. "Why?!" She grimaces a little. "They found some internal bleeding that they weren't aware of before. I'll be fine. Go out, have fun." I give her a look. "Mom, how am I supposed to have fun knowing that you're in surgery?" She sighed. "Oh, just go be a teenager. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Go." With that last part, she shooed me away and the nurse came to wheel her into surgery. I sit there for a moment before heading outside and riding my bike to the Mystic Grill. I'd seen it when I rode my bike to the barbecue, and had wanted to check it out. I walk in to find most of the people I'd been introduced to sitting at a table, engaged in a serious conversation. I noticed the pool tables and walked up to one, running my hand along the smooth wood. I felt eyes on me and turned around. Damon Salvatore was standing there, holding a pool cue. "You play, blondie?" I grimaced a little at the nickname. "Yeah." He smirked. "Any good?" he asked arrogantly. I shot him my dumb blonde smile. "I'm okay." Actually, I was better than okay, but he didn't need to know that. "Well then, I challenge you to a game. I win, drink a round with me. You win, you're free to do whatever." I grin slyly. "I agree to those terms. Can I break?" He gestures to the table. "Go ahead." I grab a cue and line up my shot. It goes perfectly, sending two balls to their demise. Damon raises an eyebrow. "Not bad." Then he lines up a shot, but it wobbles a little.<p>

After a bit, it's my turn and only one ball is left. I calculate the angle of the difficult shot and line it up, my brow furrowing in concentration. It sinks perfectly. I triumphantly turn to Damon. "Guess I ain't the dumb blonde you thought I was." He pretends to think about it. "Blonde, yes. Dumb, no." Then he holds out his hand. "Phone." I raise an eyebrow. "What?" He lets out a sigh of mock exasperation. "Give me your phone so if you ever need a buddy to play a game of pool, you cant text me." I roll my eyes and hand him my phone. "Fine." He smirks and enters his number. I grab his phone from where it rests on the edge of the pool table and save my number to his contacts under 'Blondie'. With that, I smile, collect my phone, and slide into an empty corner booth.

**Elijah's P.O.V.**

I sigh as I walk into the Mystic Grill. I cannot believe that after Kol and Rebekah's incessant pleading, Niklaus said we all had to go, 'as a family'. Then I spot Iris, playing a game of pool with Damon. I smirk. She's a human and she's beating him. It's really funny to watch, so after I order a drink I do just that. Afterwards, they exchange numbers and Iris goes off to sit by herself. I'm tempted to go sit by her, but I would have no idea what to do. It's funny; nowhere in my a thousand years have I felt so speechless around someone. Niklaus and Kol would surely tease me if they knew what I was thinking. I mentally prepare myself to head over and start a conversation, but Rebekah beats me to it. She saunters over to Iris's booth and slides in. A moment later, she leans towards Iris and compels her. They walk out of the Grill. My blood boils. My sister shall not hurt her. I won't allow it. I abandon my drink and follow them.

**Iris's P.O.V.**

Just after I sat down, Rebekah Mikaelson comes over to my booth. WE make small talk, then she leans forward and tells me, "You're going to come outside without a fuss, darling. I'm hungry." I don't have control over my own body as I get up and follow her outside the Grill. She leads me around the corner to where it's dark. She turns to me. "And now, you're not going to scream." Her face transforms, the veins under her eyes becoming visible and her teeth extend into fangs. Strangely, I'm not afraid. I find it fascinating. "So vampires are real." I whisper in awe. She pauses. "That's all you have to say? No 'don't kill me?' Just, 'so vampires are real'?" I shrug. "Yeah. I figure they're part of nature, just like humans." She looks at me curiously. "We'll finish this wonderful discussion later. Now, I'm hungry." Before she can do anything, I pull my ponytail over my left shoulder, exposing my neck. She looks at me questioningly, then bites.

Once she was done, she bit her own wrist and shoved some blood in my mouth. I wince at her roughness, but then marvel when the bite mark disappears. 'So your blood heals?" She nodded. "Yep. Handy little thing." Just then, Elijah walks around the corner. "Rebekah, did you hurt her?" He demands. I wave my hand in front of his face. "No, she didn't hurt me. I'm fine." Elijah glances at me quickly, as if making sure I'm okay, then turns to Rebekah. "You fed on her," he accused. Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Elijah. I didn't even have to compel her. She's not afraid, just curious." I tilt my head. "You're a vampire, too? Is your whole family vampires?" Rebekah answers my question. "Yep. We became vampires a thousand years ago. We're the Originals." Elijah looked at me like he was trying to figure me out. "So you're totally okay with this whole vampire thing?" I look at him, surprised. "Why wouldn't I be?" Then the light-haired one, Klaus, steps out of the shadows. "Oh, I don't know, love. Maybe because we kill people." I shrug. "Sure, that's wrong, but you've gotta eat too, right?" Klaus looked impressed. He turned to Elijah. "I like her, brother. You make sure to keep her around." I roll my eyes and turn back to Rebekah. "Am I going to become a vampire now, too?" I ask. She shakes her head. "No. You've got to die with vampire blood in your system." I ponder that for a moment. "Huh. Fun fact. Might be on _Jeopardy!_ sometime," I joke. Another laugh comes from the darkness. A man with dark hair like Elijah's walks up. "I like like her, Lijah. You and I are quite similar, darling," he chuckled. I smiled him. "And you are...?" He mockingly bowed. "Kol Mikaelson, the fun brother." Klaus then gets serious. "Iris, you've met all of us except Finn. You know our secret. Can you keep it?" I nod. "Yeah, of course I can." He smiled and clapped his hands together once. "Brilliant!"

_**A month later...**_

**Iris's P.O.V.**

I'm sitting in the Mikaelson's darkened living room as we watch _The Avengers_. I smile as I think of how close I've gotten to these amazing people. Currently I'm sitting on the couch in between Rebekah and Elijah, and Kol is siting on the floor in front of me. Finn and Klaus are sprawled on armchairs. It's hilarious that I'm so comfortable, sitting here watching a movie with the five most powerful vampires alive, and that they'd do anything for me. I'm just a human. The end credits roll, and Kol exclaims, "Let's start another one!" I shake my head and yawn. "I've got to go visit mom at the hospital, and then I'm going to bed." Elijah stands up as I do. "I'm drive you," he offers. I smile and nod. Over the last month, one Original usually accompanies me when I go see my mother. Usually it's Elijah or Rebekah. I grab my jacket and pull it on as Elijah and I walk out to his SUV. We've gotten quite close over the last month. A few times when we're hanging out, I've felt the urge to lean over and kiss him. But I haven't, because I don't want to make thing weird. We drive to the hospital, and I'm singing along to the radio the whole way. We arrive at the hospital and I jump out of the car, grabbing Elijah's hand and pulling him with me. We sign in at the front desk, and then go up to see my mother. She's looking pretty good these days, and I have hope. "Hi, mom!" I say. She smiles at me, and greets Elijah. He grins. "Hello, Mrs. Reming." She scoffs. "We've known each other for a while now, Elijah, and Mrs. Reming makes me feel old. Please call my Katie." I hide a smile. Mom likes the Mikaelsons and is insisting they call her by her first name. We talk for a while, and then visiting hours come to a close. Just as Elijah and I prepare to leave, mom calls out to me. "Iris? I'm going into surgery tomorrow morning. They think they can remove the tumor." I grin. "That's amazing, mom! Call me as soon as it's done." We say goodbye, and Elijah drops me off at my house.

**[A/N]: I'm really sorry if the fast-forward was too quick for you. :( If it was, maybe I'll get rid of this chapter and go back to before, 'kay? Please leave a review. I hope to get up the next chapter with in a few days.**


	4. Chapter 4

**[A/N]: Hi! I'd like to thank everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed. Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it. Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THE ORIGINALS. They belong to L. J. Smith and Julie Plec.**

**Iris's P.O.V.**

**_Flashback_**

_I step out of the car, nervous. The Mikaelson mansion is sprawled before me. Elijah must have heard my heartbeat stutter, because he smiles reassuringly. "You've already met my siblings. You're just over at the house." I swallowed, not knowing that this very place was soon to become my second home.  
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**_Back to_**_ **present**_

I stir under my heavy quilt. I'd just been woken by the sound of my neighbor's dog barking. I roll over and am soon fast asleep once more.

_**Flashback**_

_My hands shake as I dial the Mikaelson's phone number. Klaus picks up on the first ring. "Hello, Iris. What is it?"_

_My breathing is shallow and quick. "Mom..internal bleeding...emergency surgery." I manage to get past the lump in my throat. I hear him draw in a breath. "Don't worry, love, we'll be there. Just hang on." _

_He hangs up, and I feel empty. Just then, I look up to see them all standing in front of me, looking worried. I look at Elijah, and I know he sees how broken I am. He holds out his arms, and I walk straight into them. "It's going to be all right," he whispers as he strokes my hair. "You'll make it through. You're a survivor, Iris."_

**_Back to__ present_**

I wake up the next morning feeling unbalanced, like my whole world was going to fall out from beneath me in a single moment. I try to shrug it off and make breakfast.

An hour later, I get a phone call. I glance at the caller ID and my heart speeds up. It's the hospital. I quickly answer it. "Hello?"

A sympathetic voice comes over the line. "Is this Iris Reming?"

My heart stutters as I answer cautiously, "Yes."

"I'm sorry to inform you that Amy Reming has passed away. The tumor...came back quickly. The doctors that they could keep it at bay for another month or two."

I hear myself say, "Thank you for informing me," in a dull, lifeless voice. I hang up and go sit down. I'm in shock for a few minutes before the tears come.

**Elijah's P.O.V.**

I pick up my phone and call Iris. Usually, by this time of morning, someone's heard from her. But not today. It rings five times before going to voicemail. "_Hey, it's Iris. Leave me a message, I'll get back to you if you're worth it!_" her voice chirps through the phone. I smile and hang up. She'll call me back when she gets by her phone.

An hour later, still no word. I grab my keys and drive over to her house. I knock, but no one answers. I listen. Sobs come from inside. I go in and find Iris curled up on the couch, crying like her heart has been broken. I go over to her and pull her into my arms. I've only seen her like this once before, when she thought her mother was going to die. I have a horrible suspicion that I know exactly what caused her to break down like this.

**[A/N]: I'm so sorry about the _long_ wait! I've had a lot of things going on lately, between school and getting sick. I'll try my best to update every Friday from now on! Please tell me what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**[A/N]: I'm sorry that this was late! I had planned to update last night, but, well, the Hollywood Film Awards. You know what I mean. Anyways, here you go! Sorry 'bout the lateness!  
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**Iris's P.O.V.**

I cry until there's no more tears left, and Elijah holds me the whole while, not saying anything, just running a hand through my hair. The wordless act gives me greater comfort than anything he could have said. I lean into him, my breathing still coming in short gasps. "She...she's gone, Elijah," I whisper raggedly. "I'm all alone now."

The hand running through my hair stills for a moment. "You're not alone, Iris. You have me, and Rebekah, Niklaus, Kol, and Finn. We'll always be there for you."

I look up at him. "Do you really mean it?" I whisper softly.

**Elijah's P.O.V.**

She looks up at me, her beautiful eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Do you really mean it?" she whispers.

My control starts to crumble. All I want to do is reassure her that I'll be beside her forever, because _I love her_. But I can't tell her now. Her mental state is too fragile. Instead, I gently kiss her forehead and whisper, "Yes, I do."

She relaxes, and pretty soon her eyes flutter shut and her breathing evens out. I wait a few minutes before reaching for the blanket on the other end of the couch and draping it over her. I attempt to disentangle her from my arms, but her hands curl into my shirt. I smile softly and kiss her cheek before going outside to call my family.

It rings barely once before Niklaus picks up. "Hello, brother. Why are you calling?"

I let out a breath. "Iris's mother has passed away." I hear the _crack_ of splintering wood from the other end, and faintly hear Rebekah yell, _"That was my favorite coffee table! Centuries old!"_

I hear him yell, "I really don't care right now, Rebekah! How is she?" His tone goes from bored to worried in a second. I glance inside. She hasn't moved from where I left her. "She's trying to cope, but it's difficult. She lost her father only a few months ago, and now her mother. It's taking a toll on her. She's sleeping." Just then, I see her move out of the corner of my eye. "I think she's waking up. Please tell Rebekah, Kol, and Finn that I may not be home until late tonight."

Klaus was quiet for a moment. "I'll keep them from her house today. You're the one who should be there today. I know you'll take care of her."

I look down, floored by my brother's statement. "Thank you, Niklaus."

He continues, "I've seen the way you look at her. How you smile when she gets excited. The disappointed look on your face whenever she tells us she has a date. You try so hard to hide it, but I know. You love her, don't you, brother?"

I stand in silence, forgetting how to breathe for a moment. Am I that obvious? After five seconds, I can just _feel_ my brother's smile. "Thought so. Take care of her." And then he hangs up.

**[A/N]: There's my apology for being late: a chapter full of feels. Please leave me a review, they totally make my day. And if you like this story, maybe you'd like my other Vampire Diaries one, Playing With Fire. Go check it out.**


	6. Chapter 6

**[A/N]: Here it is. Enjoy!  
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**Iris's P.O.V.  
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I open my eyes to find myself lying on the couch. Elijah walks into the room with a cup of coffee. He hands it to me, and I nod my thanks, finding my throat dry and scratchy. My eyes prickle with tears. Probably from crying so much. I sip the coffee slowly, and neither of us say anything for a while. Finally, I break the silence. "I need to go see Carol Lockwood and ask her to help me with funeral arrangements." Even to my own ears, my voice sounds flat and monotonous.

Elijah shakes his head. "Don't worry about that. Niklaus and Rebekah will take care of that for you. Are you going to be alright?"

I shrug. "Probably. Eventually."

He nods. "I understand. I mourned for years after my mother perished the first time around."

I'm about to say something, but am interrupted by Caroline bursting through the door. "Oh my gosh! Iris! Klaus just told me about your mom. I'm so sorry. Are you going to be okay?"

I give her my most convincing smile. "Yeah. I will."

Caroline sees right through it. "Well, we're going to watch happy movies to cheer you up."

"Caroline, that's unnecessary."

She pouts and puts her hands on her hips. "Oh, I see how it is. Your hot Original helps you, and you don't need your bestie anymore."

I roll my eyes. "That's not true. Wait..what did you call Elijah?"

I see him blush.

Caroline smirks. "I called him 'your hot Original'."

My pale skin turns a bright shade of scarlet. "He's not _my_ Original!"

Caroline grins. "Ha! But you didn't say you didn't think he was hot!"

I bury my face in my hands. "Kill me now," I mutter. I hear Elijah stutter out an excuse about helping Klaus, and then leave. Once he's gone, I glare up at Caroline, my cheeks still crimson. "Good going, Care! Really!"

Caroline smiles smugly. "I'm a such a good matchmaker."

I throw a pillow at her, which she easily dodges with vampire speed. "Now, I wasn't kidding about the movies." She pulls a bunch out of her purse. "First up: RED."

**[A/N]: Please tell me what you think. I want to know. As much as I wish I was, I'm not a mind-reader. ;)**


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